Sparacio has been creating and performing music for years. He will be performing at Red Tank Brewing Company in Red Bank April 27.
By Chris Spiewak
Music is an art form, but it is also a business. Local musicians can be considered small businesses and they rely on other local small businesses like managers, producers and studios to get their music to the masses. “Think global, shop local” is an age-old adage that is more important today than ever before. Aspiring singer/songwriter Christian Sparacio of Marlboro is a true believer in his home state, sourcing nearly everything he needs to promote himself and his music in Monmouth County. As a youngster, he had two dreams: to play football and to become a singer. Lofty goals, but it turns out that these dreams would indeed become reality for this motivated and talented young man.
Sparacio’s earliest memories were listening to Frank Sinatra songs at home. His parents always had music playing and he became familiar with the music of Billy Joel and Steely Dan. He was probably bitten hardest by the music bug at age 11, when he attended concerts by Ringo Starr in Holmdel and Eric Clapton in New York City. “The Clapton show still gives me chills,” he said.
He started singing along to the radio until “he got it right” and surprisingly has never had any formal training. He picked up the guitar in middle school and next up was football, where he excelled in high school at The Peddie School for two years. He then transferred to the George School in Pennsylvania for two years where he was able to spread his creative wings, joining the chorus and attending creative writing classes.
Sparacio’s football talents led him to Maine to play quarterback for the Division III Colby College Mules. While achieving success on the gridiron, his music skills were beginning to shine and people started to listen intently whenever he performed. Armed with a history degree and a killer voice, he returned to New Jersey to embark on the next chapter in his life.
Not interested in the nine-to-five routine right away, he concentrated on his music and coached football at Mater Dei Prep in Middletown. Influenced by Paul Simon, Jim Croce and especially John Mayer, he was becoming a prolific composer during this time, writing every day. His lyrical style of “real-life observations” reminds one of Mayer and also Hozier, both talented lyricists in their own right. His alternative/modern pop sound fits perfectly with today’s music, well written with one great groove after another. Songs like “Pacific AM” and “About Time” should be on a chart somewhere and his amazing composition “Silent Places” should be a Billboard Top 100 selection at some point in the future. It’s that good.
Not afraid to step out of the box, Sparacio recently “reconstructed” the 1982 megahit by Modern English entitled “I Melt With You.” At the time, this beautifully written song was set to a fast beat that fit the New Wave sound of that era. Feeling that he wanted to give the lyrics more prominence, he slowed the song down and collaborated with producer Mike Chiarappa to record the song at DIMM Studios in Freehold. The final result is a beautiful up-tempo ballad that lets the original lyrics shine even more, replete with a short trumpet solo at the end by the talented Jackson Ullman. Sparacio’s beautiful baritone voice adds a new dimension to this classic song, and a video to accompany the song will be released April 29.
This video was shot in its entirety at John Arcara’s Red Tank Brewing Company in Red Bank. Sparacio, now a part-time employee at Red Tank where he will perform April 27, brought in Kris Khunachak Multimedia of Freehold to film. Featuring an eloquent dance scene by performers Victoria Bond and Lauren Stucko, the song and video are professionally done and they complement the original song in a wonderful and respectful fashion, some 39 years later.
Sparacio credits current band members Liam Frank on drums, Jon Bass on bass and guitarist Justin Murray for bringing his music to life on stage. Pre-pandemic shows included The Brighton Bar and two shows at Arlene’s Grocery in Manhattan, the second of which was sold out. The band was quickly gathering steam in early 2020, but health became more important than music. Not to worry, though, as the band has 12 or 13 songs ready to release in the next six months and they are aggressively seeking outdoor venues this summer to showcase their talents.
Christian Sparacio had his goals, and he is accomplishing his missions in life. A substitute teacher in the Marlboro school system now, a part-time bartender at Red Tank Brewery and a promising music career leads to a full life. Please visit his Facebook page, his website sparaciomusic.com or search for him on Spotify and Soundcloud. His local pride is strong, as are his friends, family and loyal fans.
Chris Spiewak is a 40-year veteran of the Shore music scene.
This article originally appeared in the April 22, 2021 print edition of The Two River Times.
